karston walking

Here’s a video of Karston starting to walk…he’s really cute!

skinny fat

I had a body composition test done yesterday, and the lady doing the test said that it is possible to be skinny, but also fat.

This means that although you’re skinny, you don’t have a lot of muscle mass.

She said that is what I am.

Skinny fat.

I run and bike, but I don’t work out my upper body too much, so I don’t have a lot of muscle there.

So, that motivated me to make the gym a regular part of my routine.

That is my new year’s resolution…what’s yours?

21 day challenge

Yesterday at NLC, Matt gave the 21 day challenge:

Read your Bible and S.O.A.P. for the next 21 days.

Experts tell us that it only takes 21 days to form a habit, so this could be the first step to an amazing habit.

I loved the questions that he was posing. The one that stuck out to me was something like, “In 365 days from today, will your spiritual life be better or worse than it is right now?”

By S.O.A.P.ing together, we can insure that it is a lot better!

If you didn’t hear the message, you can click here as soon as the link is up. Or, just start TODAY in John 1 and read through the book of John.

If you want to learn more about S.O.A.P., listen to the message from yesterday and it will be explained well.

21 days. Take the challenge.

last mind dump of ‘08

Here is a mind dump of the thoughts of ‘08 that I want to get off my brain before we step into a new year:

- I love the new year and all of the symbolism that it contains. I plan on leaving a lot of stuff behind and starting some great new things.

- In the beginning of ‘08, Matt said that it was going to be a year of, ‘High highs and Low lows.” That was a perfect word for this past year, especially for the NLC staff. We’re excited about leaving the, ‘Low lows,’ in 08!

- Karston is starting to walk…he took 5 steps in a row…it’s crazy.

- I love my wife like crazy. I never thought that life and marriage would be this fun.

- Matt said that he thinks that ‘09 is going to be a, “Year of Advancement.” That feels right and we’re definitely ready for it. God’s going to do some cool stuff.

- We’re entering a personal growth period for the staff at NLC where we’re going to be growing like crazy. It’s going to be awesome!

- In January of 2008, we could have never guessed the path that some of our relationships took. It’s weird that such drastic changes can happen in just one year.

- I really want to do a half-Ironman this year. If I have the time to train, I will. But, I’m not going to force it…I just really want to do it.

- Scott and I are going to be going to a gym on Mondays and Wednesdays and meeting with a trainer that goes to NLC…I’m excited about having direction as I try to reach some goals, and I’m excited that I’m not doing it alone!

- I’m working at Diamond Head tonight, waiting tables for a wedding and their New Years party. I haven’t done it in months, but it is going to be great for me. Being with unchurched people always keeps me grounded.

- Our schedule is crazy right now…09 is going to be the year that Annie and I finally figure it out!

- I’m thinking about trying to promote a 5k with the staff that happens in May. We’ll see how that goes!

Happy New Years everybody!

start running in ‘09

I have had a lot of people tell me that they want to start running in ‘09, and if I had any suggestions on how to get that going. I really haven’t had much of an answer until I found a 10 week schedule in, ‘The Complete Book of Running,’ that is pretty good for beginners.

Here is the schedule:

Each workout should be done on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, or 4 days a week with rest built in, for optimal performance.

Week 1: Walk for 20 minutes the first four days and increase it to 30 minutes of walking the next 3 days.

Week 2: Run 2 minutes, walk 4 minutes. – Complete 5 cycles.

Week 3: Run 3 minutes, walk 3 minutes. – Complete 5 cycles.

Week 4: Run 5 minutes, walk 2.5 minutes. – Complete 4 cycles.

Week 5: Run 7 minutes, walk 3 minutes. – Complete 3 cycles.

Week 6: Run 8 minutes, walk 2 minutes. – Complete 3 cycles.

Week 7: Run 9 minutes, walk 2 minutes. – Complete 2 cycles, then run 8 minutes.

Week 8: Run 9 minutes, walk 1 minutes. – Complete 3 cycles.

Week 9: Run 13 minutes, walk 2 minutes. – Complete 2 cycles.

Week 10: Run 14 minutes, walk 1 minute. – Complete 2 cycles. (note: after completing week 10, if you feel tired, repeat this week of training before moving on to week 11).

Week 11: Run 30 minutes.

After this, you should be all set and even ready to race in a 5k! I hope that this helps get you going!

someone needs a vacation

I just read an article of a bus driver who pulled a knife on some middle school kids because they left crumbs on his bus from eating cookies.

He needs a vacation.

Here’s the link to the story: http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2008/12/22/Parents_Bus_driver_pulled_knife_on_kids/UPI-69601229971339/

new videos of Karston

These are pretty cute videos of Karston – one is of his recent tricks and the other is of his obsession with toes and how he likes to bite them…must get it from one of his grandparents…

Finish the Year Strong 6/6

Do It With Others

If you know someone who is slowing down in their fitness as the year comes to an end, ask them to join you in staying strong through the end of the year. It always helps, when struggling to finish strong, to have others around you to help encourage you to keep going. There’s just something about that accountability that is amazing.

At NLC, our Connection Groups are getting it done. There is a running group, a triathlon group, a volleyball group, a tennis group, and others that are focused around fitness and putting people together. If you’re having a hard time finishing strong, hook up with one of these groups and it will make it easier to reach December 31st strong and healthy.

Finish the Year Strong 5/6

Set a Mid-December Resolution

What if you could make a mid-December resolution? What if, instead of waiting to make a New Years Resolution, you could decide that on December 15th, you were going to join a gym or start working out and get into shape?

Why would you do this, you might ask. Here’s a couple of things that you’ve probably not thought of on why the mid-December resolution is crazy…crazy genius.

-    If you have a mid-December resolution, you can get a jump on all of the suckers who won’t start until January 1st. When you ask someone at the gym how long they’ve been working out and they tell you 2 weeks, they will then ask you. When they do, you can tell them 1 month and they will look to you in awe as the fitness expert. Tell me you wouldn’t like that.

-    If you have a mid-December resolution, you can ride the momentum of the New Year. They say that 25% of people give up their New Year’s resolution within the first 2 weeks. Well, when you start to feel the 2 week lull, BAM, you’ll start to feel all kinds of energy from the excitement of the New Year.

-    If the mid-December resolution works, you could steal the idea from me and write a book about it and make tons of money. You’d laugh at me that I let such a great idea go – you’d laugh all the way to the bank.

Those are some of the thoughts. Seriously, though, if you went into the new year strong, you’d feel good and you could even set some fitness goals instead of the goal being to just get started.

mind dump 12-8

Here’s a mind dump of some of the stuff that I’m thinking about right now:

- You’ve got to read this post…challenging as heck.

- I have been having an internal struggle with the idea that we have been given so much while so many have so little. Annie and I have money in a bank, and yet there are kids in THIS city who sleep on concrete floors because they don’t have the money for mattresses. Doesn’t that seem wrong?

- When Jesus says that if someone asks you for something, just give it to them, do you think that applies to the homeless? Or alcoholics? Or those who call the church and even though they don’t go to the church, ask for financial help? Do you think that he means that even if we’re being scammed? How protective should we be of our finances and stuff? Jesus isn’t real clear on that.

- Matt went to speak at a church in Texas this past week. It seems like God is expanding his influence and everyone at NLC to help churches throughout North America and really the world.

- Man, we just want to help churches and pastors. I really hope that God gives us a ton of opportunity to do just that.

- Right now, we are in, ‘THE STRETCH,’ as we call it. We’re being stretched to a new place in ministry and personal growth right now.

- I need to do something drastic to take my prayer life to the next level. I’m looking forward to it and dreading it, all at the same time. It is right, though, and is part of the stretch for me.

- Christopher Beard and Layne Shranz challenged me a ton while they were here for r9…it’s changing my life and the way that I interact with others.

- Karston is such a cute kid…I can’t get over it. I found that I wasn’t engaging our time together as much as I needed to and was actually acting frustrated at times when we would hang out. I changed that and he and I had awesome guy time this weekend on Friday and Saturday. That is some of my favorite time during my week, next to date night with Annie.

- I am enjoying my relationship with LeAnne so much right now. I don’t remember a time when I’ve enjoyed it more in the time that we’ve been together.

- I have about 7 awkward conversations that I need to have that for one reason or another haven’t happened. I don’t like when they stack up like this.

- I need to find a training guide to do a half-ironman.

- For our anniversary, Annie got me an Aquavee swim system and a swiMp3 (an mp3 player that works while you swim). I don’t know the full extent of the change that it will make, but I liken it to the first time that I drank a Frappucino from Starbucks. I knew that it was going to change my life in a big way, I just wasn’t sure the extent of it.

I think that’s it right now. It’s just what’s on my mind right now.